Trump and the Troops

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Although I am not a veteran myself, but have many friends who are, I have done a number of blogs in the past decrying how politicians will invoke veterans and troop support when it seems advantageous to their plans, but actually do nothing to help veterans and returning troops when it counts.

To me, anyway, it seems too many people use the troops as props, but have little use for them otherwise.

They use the troops as photo-ops, throw their name out when they are at a political event, and attempt to give the impression that they are more supportive of the troops than anyone else when it helps make their opposition look less so and, therefore, unpatriotic and cruel.

Then when it comes to votes on benefits vs cuts, they always seem to come up with a “reason” to make the cuts, banking, I assume, on the theory that the troops have already made major sacrifices, so what is one more. They are used to making sacrifices, after all.

Veterans groups around the country are tired of being used as political props.

They aren’t happy that people like Trump so easily advocate for military action that will end up creating more vets to be ignored.

They also are not so stupid that they forget that, instead of attending one of the Republican debates, Trump said he would have a fundraising event for veterans with the money, in the end, not actually going to them.

And many are upset at the way Trump ruthlessly mocked Senator John McCain for being shot down, captured, and tortured during the Vietnam War. Trump does not consider someone who was captured a hero.

He dodged the draft claiming a physical disability, and then played baseball and tennis in college, while claiming later that being on the prowl for women was his Viet Nam

Over a decade ago he tried to get disabled veterans, who were legally operating as street vendors, thrown off of Fifth Avenue in New York City because they were ‘clogging and seriously downgrading the area.’

That is why fifty prominent veterans released a statement slamming him for his disrespect and the dangerously incoherent half-formed and contradictory “ideas” that Trump passes off as a foreign policy.

“Donald Trump recently discovered a new love for America’s veterans, promising that a Trump administration will ‘treat them really, really well.’ Yet after a publicity stunt earlier this year when he ditched a GOP debate to hold an event on behalf of veterans, his campaign still hasn’t distributed more than half of the $6 million dollars it allegedly raised. They don’t even know where that money has gone. And worse, this is part of a long pattern of the real Donald J. Trump, who for over a decade tried to get disabled veterans, legally operating as street vendors, thrown off of Fifth Avenue in New York City. He said that these Americans, who were simply trying to earn a living in the country they gave so much to defend, were ‘clogging and seriously downgrading the area.’

And yet, even as Donald Trump denigrates our nation’s current veterans, he’s putting our future veterans at risk with a risky and incoherent foreign policy. Republican and Democratic national security professionals agree that a Trump administration would make America dangerously less safe while reducing its standing and influence in the world. His embrace of both military adventurism and isolationism, and his support of the use of torture will not only recklessly place our troops in harm’s way, but will dramatically increase the risk to our service members serving in operations overseas. Trump’s policies are detrimental to the young men and women who volunteer to serve this country, from the moment they join the armed services to the end of their career, civilian or military. He can’t be trusted, by our veterans or anyone else.

It’s time for Donald Trump to stop using vets as political props, donate the rest of the money he raised and build a real understanding of the needs and concerns of the men and women who have served America.”

These are the people who signed the statement in protest of Trump:

Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army, 1965-1968
Congressman Ruben Gallego, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, 2000-2006
Congressman Seth Moulton, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, 2001-2008
State Senator Pat Spearman, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army, 1977-2007
State Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 2001-2005
State Representative Hank Naughton, U.S. Army Reserves
Seamus P. Ahern, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, 2000-2006
Lee Beaulac, Sergeant, U.S. Army, 1966-1970
Patrick Bellon, Specialist, U.S. Army, 2002-2005
Charlie Brown, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 1972-1998
William Bunch, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 1982-1988
Tahlia Burton, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 2008-2013
Laura Cabrera, Petty Officer 1st Class, U.S. Navy, 1998-2006
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Virgel Cain, Petty Officer 2nd Class, U.S. Navy, 1963-1968
Jason Cain, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, 2000-2010
Jane Campbell, Captain, U.S. Navy, 1990-2015
Kelsey Campbell, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, 2002-2009
Matthew J. Cary, Specialist, U.S. Army Reserve, 1969-1975
Asha Castleberry, Captain, U.S. Army, 2005-2015
Margaret Cope, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 1981-2011
Carlos Del Toro, Commander, U.S. Navy, 1979-2004
Greg Douquet, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, 1985-2015
Sean M. Easter, Sergeant, U.S. Army, 2002-2010
Thomas Fant, Seaman, U.S. Coast Guard, 1996-1998
Sonia Fernandez, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, 1993-1996
Jonathan Freeman, Captain, U.S. Army, 2004-2008
Kristofer Goldsmith, Sergeant, U.S. Army, 2004-2007
Kia Thomas Hamel, Petty Officer 3rd Class, U.S. Navy, 1994-1998
Robert S. Hamer, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, 2011-2016
Gail Harris, Captain, U.S. Navy, 1973-2001
Kate Hoit, Specialist, U.S. Army Reserve, 2001-2009
Keith Howard-Streicher, Specialist, U.S. Army, 2008-2011
Andrew Janiszewski, Captain, U.S. Air Force, 2006-2014
Tony Johnson, Lieutenant Junior Grade, U.S. Navy, 1994-1997
Brian Adam Jones, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, 2009-2013
Peter James Kiernan, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 2007-2013
Hansen Mak, Captain, U.S. Army, 1996-2008
Alexander McCoy, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 2008-2013
Justin McFarlin, Captain, U.S. Army, 2005-2010
Jillian McNerney, Captain, U.S. Air Force, 2004-2012
Michael McNerney, Captain, U.S. Air Force, 2002-2006
Sua Peni Mene, Sergeant Major U.S. Army, 1988-2015
Rob Miller, Major, U.S. Marine Corps, 1995-2008
Tom Mullens, Petty Officer 3rd Class, U.S. Navy, 1971-1977
George A. Pivik, Colonel, U.S. Army, 1993-2013
Lawrence Ramos, Petty Officer 3rd Class, U.S. Navy, 1943-1952
Anne Jordan Rawley, Captain, U.S. Navy, 1966-1994
Dmitriy Redka, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, 1997-2005
Scott Rutter, Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army 1983-2003
Terron Simms II, Captain, U.S. Army, 2000-2005
Tommy Sowers, Major, U.S. Army, 1998-2009
Bobby J. Thornburg, Colonel, U.S. Army, 1968-2000
Adam Tiffen, U.S. Army, 2005-2008
Martin E. Torrey, Commander, U.S. Navy, 1972-1992
Shawn VanDiver, Petty Officer 1st Class, U.S. Navy, 2001-2013
Loren Voss, Captain, U.S. Air Force, 2008-2013
Patricia Webb, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, 1978-2011
Tony Woods, Captain, U.S. Army, 2003-2008

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